Medicare Advantage

Daly City, CA Medicare plan options for 2027

Daly City sits in one of California's busier Medicare markets, and that trend continues into the 2027 plan year. According to the most recent CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape files, San Mateo County residents had 33 Medicare Advantage plans to consider for 2026; the 2027 lineup is detailed in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on the Plan Finder at Medicare.gov when the Annual Enrollment Period opens on October 15.

That range of choices matters. With more than 132,000 people age 65 and older living in San Mateo County, Daly City neighbors are weighing coverage decisions that affect their doctors, prescriptions, and household budgets for the year ahead.

How many plans are available near Daly City

Medicare plan availability is set at the county level, so the numbers below apply to every ZIP code in San Mateo County — Daly City included.

• 33 Medicare Advantage plans are offered in the county for 2026.
• 11 carriers offer Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) coverage in the area.
• 0 stand-alone Part D plans were listed for the county in the 2026 landscape file. The 2027 lineup is on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

If you want stand-alone drug coverage in addition to Original Medicare, or you're comparing Medigap options, calling 1-800-MEDICARE or checking the Plan Finder on medicare.gov will show you the full set of options tied to your ZIP code.

What "33 plans" actually means

That count includes different types of Medicare Advantage plans — HMOs, PPOs, and specialized plans like Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medi-Cal. Not every plan is a fit for every person. Networks, drug lists, and service areas vary, even inside the same county.

The takeaway isn't that you have 33 equally suitable choices. It's that you have room to compare and find coverage that matches your doctors, your medications, and how you like to get care.

A quick word on Star Ratings

CMS publishes Star Ratings each year to give consumers a general sense of plan quality — things like customer service, member experience, and how well plans manage chronic conditions. For 2026, no contracts serving San Mateo County were rated 4 stars or higher in the landscape data. The 2027 ratings are posted on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

Star Ratings are one signal among many. They don't tell you whether a specific plan covers your cardiologist or your inhaler. Use them as background, not as the final word.

Key Medicare figures to know for 2026 and 2027

These apply nationwide, not just in California:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 for 2026 and $2,400 for 2027. Once you hit the cap, you pay nothing more for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027).
• Coverage gap ("donut hole"): eliminated as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional program that lets you spread your drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying a big bill at the pharmacy.
• IRMAA surcharges: kick in above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026, adding to Part B and Part D premiums.

Important dates

• October 15 – December 7: Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.

Missing these windows usually means waiting until the next one, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period because of a move, a loss of other coverage, or another life event.

Where to get unbiased help

You don't have to sort through this alone, and you don't have to rely on a sales call.

• medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder shows every plan available at your Daly City ZIP code.
• 1-800-MEDICARE — available 24/7 for questions.
• California HICAP (the state's SHIP program) — free, one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers who don't sell insurance. You can reach the San Mateo County office through the statewide HICAP line.